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Denver
Overdoses Up, Rest of the Nation Down
In Denver, Colorado, drug abuse death causalities are skyrocketing
while at the same time in other U.S. cities statistics of
drug overdoses are declining or leveling off.
According to a study by the Department of Health and Human
Services, metro Denver had 310 drug overdose deaths in 2001,
more than double the statistic of five years previous. In
another federal study research shows that nationwide, Colorado
ranks first in marijuana use, second in alcohol abuse, and
15th in drug abuse among the other 50 states.
These statistics are not surprising due to the fact that
Colorado spend less on drug abuse education and treatment
than almost any other state in the region, Health Officials
say. "Absolutely it is a big problem" said Adam Brickner,
Director of Denver Mayor Wellington Webb's office of Drug
Strategy in an interview with Rocky Mountain News.
"We spend so little money on prevention, treatment and intervention
in Colorado. We absolutely could do something about these
deaths, but we are not doing it" he continues to say. The
use of Ecstasy and other "designer drugs" are also showing
a huge increase in casualties along with methamphetamines,
but the main killer seems to be alcohol and cocaine in combination
with each other. Health officials also state that marijuana
is the main gateway drug that indefinitely leads to more serious
drug addiction problems
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